THE CARIBBEAN ACCREDITATION AUTHORITY (MEDICINE AND OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONS) ACT

[Date of Commencement: 11th August, 2006]

Act 9 of 2006.

1 Short title

This Act may be cited as the Caribbean Accreditation Authority (Medicine and other Health Professions) Act.

2 Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

"Agreement" means the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions, signed at Castries, St. Lucia on the 13th day of November, 2003 of which the text of the Articles is set out in the Schedule;

"Authority" means the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions, established by Article 2 of the Agreement.

3 Certain provisions of Agreement to have force of law in Jamaica

The provisions of Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Agreement shall have the force of law in Jamaica.

4 Financial provisions

All sums required to be paid to the Authority by the Government for the purpose of meeting the obligations of Jamaica under the Agreement are hereby charged on the Consolidated Fund.

5 Power of Minister to make implementing orders

The Minister may, by order, make such provisions as he considers necessary or expedient for giving effect to the Agreement.

6 Amendment of Schedule and consequential matters

(1) Where any amendment to the Agreement is accepted by the Government, the Minister may, by order, amend the Schedule by including therein the amendment so accepted.

(2) Any order made under this section may contain such consequential, supplemental or ancillary provisions as appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient for the purpse of giving effect to the amendment accepted under subsection (1), and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, may contain provisions amending references in this Act to the specific provisions of the Agreement.

(3) An order made under this section shall be subject to negative resolution.

(4) Where the Schedule is amended pursuant to this section, any reference to the Agreement in this Act or any other instrument shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to the Agreement as so amended.

SCHEDULEAgreement Establishing the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Educationin Medicine and other Health Professions

(Sections 2 and 6)

THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

Recalling the provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the Caribbean Community, including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy signed at Nassau, the Bahamas, on 5 July, 2001;

Concerned that international trends in the accreditation of training programmes in certain fields, in particular, the regional accreditation initiatives of the European Union will have implications for the traditional methods of accrediting medical programmes offered by institutions in the Caribbean Community;

Acknowledging the absence of a regional system of accreditation for training programmes in the Caribbean Community in medicine and other health professions;

Recognising that the establishment of such a system is essential within the Caribbean Community and that such a system must be internationally recognised;

Conscious that the primary focus of accreditation and quality assurance initiatives in the Caribbean Community must be on the delivery of programmes aimed at achieving recognised, pre-determined quality standards, by Universities and like institutions in the Caribbean Community engaged in providing training in medicine and other health professions;

Aware of the critical importance of international comparability of programmes of study accredited by a body established within the Caribbean Community;

Determined to establish in the Caribbean Community a regional mechanism for the accreditation of training programmes in medicine and other health professions;

Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1Use of Terms

1. In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires-

"accredit" means the according of recognition by the Authority, on the basis of an informed evaluation, that the programmes of study offered by an institution and any award it confers, satisfy standards prescribed or approved by the Authority; and "reaccredit", "accreditation" and other cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;

"Associate Member" means a state or territory that is admitted to associate membership of the Community under Article 231 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas signed at Nassau, the Bahamas, on 5 July, 2001;

"Authority" means the Authority established by Article 2;

"award" means a degree, diploma, certificate or other evidence that prescribed programmes of study in medicine and other health professions have been completed successfully;

"Contracting Party" means a Member State or an Associate Member State of the Community for which this Agreement is in force;

"Community" means the Caribbean Community, including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy established by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas signed at Nassau, the Bahamas, on 5 July, 2001;

"Executive Director" means the Executive Director appointed by Article 11;

"medicine" includes dental medicine and veterinary medicine;

"other health professions" means any health profession other than medicine specified by the Authority pursuant to paragraph 4 of Article 9;

"quality assurance" means a system or process of ensuring that awards granted or programmes of study offered in medicine and other health professions by Universities or like institutions satisfy standards prescribed or accepted by the Authority;